Hipsters, young professionals and students hang out in trendy North Park, where coffee shops, craft-beer bars and indie boutiques line University Avenue. The restaurant scene is heavy on brunch spots, upscale pubs, taquerias and sushi lounges, and nightlife often revolves around the Observatory North Park, a 1929 theater that hosts rap, rock and electronica. The North Park Thursday Market also features live music.
North Park is a neighborhood in San Diego, California, USA. It is situated to the northeast of Balboa Park, bounded on the north by the canyons overlooking Mission Valley, on the south by Switzer Canyon and the South Park neighborhood, on the east by Interstate 805 and City Heights, and on the west by Florida Canyon, University Heights and Hillcrest. The pre-Interstate 805 boundary of North Park was widely considered to be 35th Street, which is now part of City Heights.
The North Park sign can be seen at 30th Street and University Avenue, and this intersection is often considered to be the heart of the neighborhood. North Park includes the subneighborhoods of Burlingame, Altadena, and the Morley Field area (site of the Dryden Historic District). North Park is part of the 53rd congressional district, and San Diego City Council District 3.
Although North Park 92104 is a neighborhood of mixed architectural styles from many eras, one area of note is the Morley Field area of North Park. Named for its proximity to Balboa Park’s Morley Field Sports Complex, this area is lined with turn-of-the-century Craftsman Bungalows and California Bungalows. Because many of the homes were designed by renowned designer and builder David Owen Dryden, the area is the site of the “Dryden Historic District.” This historical district includes the homes along 28th and Pershing Streets, both bordered on the south by Upas Street and to the north by Landis Street. North Park Dryden Historic District was approved by Historical Resources Board on June 23, 2011 An application for designation of 28th Street and Pershing Avenue from Upas to Landis Streets as a historic district was filed with the City of San Diego Historical Resources Board in May 2007. In September 2008, City staff requested additional information. The Working Group submitted a Supplemental Application in January 2009. The Supplemental Application discusses why the neighborhood reflects significant elements of North Park’s development, justifies the proposed district boundaries and nominates Edward F. Bryans, who built more than a dozen homes in the proposed district, as a Master Builder.
On June 23, 2011, the City’s Historical Resources Board (HRB) approved, by a vote of 8-0, establishment of the North Park Dryden Historic District and also approved Edward F. Bryans as a Master Builder. Of the 136 homes in the District, 104 were approved by the HRB as contributing resources to the District
The North Park Historical Society manages a website which contains many articles about historic sites, people and events; North Park walking tours; and information about committee projects and meeting information. Some of the site’s extensive collection of articles on North Park’s history were written by Donald Covington – historian, Dryden Expert and North Park enthusiast.[
Forbes magazine named North Park as one of America’s best “hipster” neighborhoods, noting that “culturally diverse North Park is home to Craftsman cottages, cafes and diners, coffee shops, several microbreweries, boutiques, and the North Park Farmers Market. The North Park Theater and the Ray Street Arts District are also bastions of creativity in the area” The Los Angeles Times writes of the neighborhood:
North Park has all the ingredients for the cool school: It’s culturally diverse and has art galleries, boutiques, trendy bars with handcrafted cocktails and local brews, and foodie-approved eateries.
An eclectic and diverse array of restaurants, as well as independent coffee shops, can be found along the main arteries of 30th Street and University Avenue. The area is also dotted with bars and night clubs that cater to a wide diversity of patrons.
Downtown North Park contains the Ray Street Arts District. Ray at Night is a gallery walk held the second Saturday of every month in North Park. It is the largest and longest running art walk in San Diego’s history.
Nearby, the Birch North Park Theatre reopened after major renovations in 2005. It is the home of Lyric Opera San Diego.
North Park has a Farmers Market every Thursday at the parking lot located at University and 32nd Streets. The Spring/Summer hours are 3pm-sunset, Fall/Winter 2pm-Sunset. They feature over 35 independent vendors; locally grown produce/flowers; gourmet/ethnic foods; arts and crafts; books; and, often, live music.
The San Diego Music Foundation hosts a large musical festival—North Park Music Thing]–in the fall on El Cajon Boulevard, which helps add to North Park’s reputation as a great community for the arts in San Diego.
As a tradition every December, North Park holds its annual holiday parade. Formerly known as the North Park Toyland Parade, it is now called the North Park Lions Club Holiday Parade.
Like other urban San Diego communities, North Park has a high rate of pedestrian activity, relative to other regions of San Diego county.
North Park is one of the most diverse communities in San Diego.
North Park is served by Interstate 805, which is accessible from the University Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard exits.
University Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard are the major east-west thoroughfares in North Park. University Avenue leads west to Hillcrest and east to City Heightsand La Mesa. El Cajon Boulevard leads west to Washington Avenue and Mission Hills and continues east to the city of El Cajon. Florida Street connects North Park to Downtown San Diego through Florida Canyon in Balboa Park to the south, and to Adams Avenue and University Heights to the north. 30th Street connects North Park to Adams Avenue and Normal Heights to the north, and to South Park and Golden Hill to the south. Texas Street heads north directly into Mission Valley.
There is substantial bus service (bus routes 1,2,6,7,10,11, and 15 connecting to Downtown San Diego as well as to the transportation hub in Old Town). The busiest bus line corridor in the San Diego metro region, known as the University Avenue transit corridor (bus routes 7 and 10), traverses North Park.
- North Park Main Street: North Park’s business community is also served by a business improvement district called North Park Main Street.
- North Park Community Association: Residents of North Park are served by the NPCA, an all-volunteer group that hosts free Bird Park Summer Concerts, runs a “Stop Graffiti Now!” campaign, connects neighbors who have common concerns, and promotes local businesses through its Member Discount Program.
- North Park Planning Committee: This organization (NPPC) represents the community in land use and community development issues providing recommendations to the City of San Diego.
- North Park Historical Society: This organization is focused on the History of North Park and features educational and outreach progams, and events (such as an annual car show and walking tours). Their website can be found at http://www.northparkhistory.org.
